Board must live within means

May 2, 2013

Grocery rices. Gas prices. Health care costs. Utilities. Home maintenance. It appears that, to Champion School Board members, an extra tax of $15 per month for each $100,000 home is no big deal but to many homeowners, $15 is a family meal, a few gallons of gas for the commute to work, or the co-payment on a visit to the doctor.

How many Champion taxpayers will receive a $15 per month raise just by showing proof that their expenses have gone up? How many are already creatively making ends meet? How many retirees contemplate selling their homes due to the high cost of living in Champion? Who do the taxpayers turn to when they arent able to pay their bills their neighbors?

Quoting the Tribune on April 25, ''Prior to November's defeat, the district cut staff, froze salaries and step increases and added a cost to employees for health care.'' Aren't those the options all responsible businesses weigh in hard times? Who does a business turn to when they arent able to pay their bills the taxpayers?

I have a fixed amount of money with which to run my household each month. If I run out of money before the end of the month, I stop spending. Sometimes I can save a few dollars. Sometimes sacrifices are made. Responsible men and women quickly learn how to live within their means. After all these years, why can't the members of the Champion School Board learn to live within theirs?